Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Adding Applications

You must add each application to the deployment share that you intend to deploy by using MDT 2010. Deployment Workbench gives you the option to copy the application source files directly into the deployment share or to just add a reference to the application source files to the deployment share and leave them in their original location. Generally, if the network location containing the application source files will not be available during deployment, you should copy the application source files to the deployment share.

In addition to specifying how to add application source files to the deployment share, you can specify the command line for installing the application, dependencies between applications, and other settings for each application. After adding an application to the deployment share, you can install it at one of two points in the process:

• During the Windows Deployment Wizard During the interview, the Windows Deployment Wizard prompts the user with a list of applications that are available for installation. The user can then choose which applications to install. You can configure the applications that the Windows Deployment Wizard installs by using the MDT 2010 database and then skip the application installation pages of the wizard-automating application installation without requiring user intervention.
• During the task sequence Application installations added to the task sequence- the sequence of tasks that occur during installation to prepare, install, and configure the build on the destination computer-occur when the Windows Deployment Wizard executes the task sequence on the destination computer. This is fully automated.

You deploy each type of application differently depending on the strategy you choose for application deployment. The strategies are as follows:

• Thick image You install applications to the build that you're using to create disk images. You can install applications by using the Windows Deployment Wizard or by adding applications to the task sequence.
• Thin image Application deployment usually occurs outside of operating system deployment, typically using a systems management infrastructure such as System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2.
• Hybrid image You install applications to the build you're deploying to destination computers (most likely a custom image) and possibly install additional applications using a systems management infrastructure. You can install the applications by using the Windows Deployment Wizard or by adding them to the task sequence.

Warning Do not allow an application to restart the computer. The Windows Deployment Wizard must control reboots or the task sequence will fail. See the section titled "Installation Reboots" later in this tutorial for more information about configuring reboots.

To add an application to the deployment share, perform the following steps:

1. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, right-click the Applications folder (or a subfolder you created under this folder) in your deployment share and select New Application to start the New Application Wizard.
2. On the Application Type page, do one of the following:
   • Select Application With Source Files to copy the application source files to the deployment share. During deployment, the Windows Deployment Wizard installs the application from the deployment share.
   • Select Application Without Source Files Or Elsewhere On The Network. Choosing this option does not copy the application source files to the deployment share. During deployment, the Windows Deployment Wizard installs the application from another location on the network. You also choose this option to run a command that requires no application source files.
   • Select Application Bundle. Choosing this option does not add an application to the deployment share. Instead, it creates a placeholder to which you can associate dependencies. Then, by installing the placeholder application (the bundle), you also install its dependencies.
3. On the Details page, provide the information described in Table below.

   In this Location	Provide this Information
   Publisher box	Name of the application's publisher
   Application Name box	Name of the application
   Version box	Version label for the application
   Languages box	Languages that the application supports

4. On the Source page, type the path of the folder containing the application to be added or click Browse to open it. If you choose to copy the application source files to the deployment share, Deployment Workbench copies everything in this folder to the deployment share; otherwise, it adds this path to the application's metadata as the application's installation path. If the application source files are staged on the local hard disk, you can select Move The Files To The Distribution Share Instead Of Copying Them to move them quickly to the deployment share instead of copying them.
5. On the Destination page, type the name of the folder to create for the application within the deployment share's Applications folder. The default value is the publisher, application name, and version label concatenated.
   Warning Make sure that the destination specified on the Specify The Destination page is unique. Otherwise, during an LTI deployment, the Windows Deployment Wizard will display multiple applications having the same name but installing different applications. If necessary, change the name on the Destination page to ensure that it is unique.
6. On the Command Details page, type the command to use to install the application silently. For example, type msiexec /qb /i app_name.msi. The command is relative to the working directory specified in the Working Directory box. For help finding the appropriate command to automate the installation of various applications.
7. Finish the wizard.

After you add an application to the deployment share, it appears in the details pane when the Applications folder (or in a subfolder of this folder) is selected in the console tree.
It also appears in the deployment share in Applications\subfolder[\subfolder], where subfolder[\subfolder] is the destination specified when adding the application.

To edit an application in the deployment share, perform the following steps:

1. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, select the Applications folder (or a subfolder) in deployment share.
2. In the details pane, right-click the application and then click Properties.
3. On the General and Details tabs, edit the application information.

To provide an uninstall registry key name, perform the following steps:

1. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, select the Applications folder (or a subfolder) in your deployment share.
2. In the details pane, right-click the application and then click Properties.
3. On the Details tab, type the uninstall registry key name in the Uninstall Registry Key Name box.

The Windows Deployment Wizard uses the uninstall registry key name to determine whether an application is already installed on the destination computer. This is a subkey of HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. If the Windows Deployment Wizard detects the presence of this key, it assumes that the application is already installed and skips the installation of that application and any dependencies. In the Uninstall Registry Key Name box, type the name of the subkey-not the entire path.

To disable an application, perform the following steps:

1. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, select the Applications folder (or a subfolder) in your deployment share.
2. In the details pane, right-click the application you want to disable and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab and clear the Enable This Application check box.

If you add an application that you intend to install during the task sequence, disable the application by clearing the Enable This Application check box. The application will still install during the task sequence, but the user will not see it in the applications list.

To remove an application from the deployment share, perform the following steps:

1. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, select the Applications folder (or a subfolder) in your deployment share.
2. In the details pane, right-click the application you want to remove and then click Delete.

When you delete an application from Deployment Workbench, it is also removed from the Applications folder in the deployment share. In other words, removing an application from Deployment Workbench also removes it from the file system.